Wow...what an amazing year this has been already!!! So many exciting things are going on here at Studio 714. Last year I was blessed with being chosen as a RAW finalist for the nationals....My work took off like CRAZY, my work was published in Ele'ments magazine...a national publication, designers, models and industry know and respect my work and my name, people from all over the world have messaged me expressing how much they love my work!!! WOW...that took me back a bit. My seniors who I love came like crazy dying to shoot with me...I had some amazing families that let me capture their memories...Weddings and babies and kiddies and lovers, I am a lucky girl to have been trusted with all of those precious memories and moments. My work is hanging on countless walls in countless homes all over the tri-state...how amazing is that? I have had the privilege to speak for an amazing photography class every year now to an amazing bunch of kids and also personaly teach a few of those amazing kids...I helped to light their fire and keep their love for photography burning.
This year...and it is just the beginning Paul Murray asked me to come shoot his studio!! My favorite artist EVER and for me to help with photography??? AMAZING! I won best of 2012 for Cincinnati Smug Mug, EPIC Design House has asked me to come join them, I have now worked with one of the most AMAZING couture designers I know and I have been blessed to now be working with some of the top industry people in the Tri-State area!!??? I have been asked to speak to photographers, who I admire, about how I do what I do!! Is this really my life??? Am I dreaming? How did I get here??? Just WOW.. And my studio is near finished!! I can shoot anytime, anything and anyone I want..how killer is that?
How did I get here you ask? Every single year since I began this journey I set goals...some small and some HUGE. I have yet to not meet them, why? Because I worked my butt off to reach them. That is the trick to all of this...never quit, always believe and work, work, work!!! If you have no work, work on old work...key is??? WORK! I seriously can not stress that enough. Learn your craft...all aspects of it. Learn the posing, lighting, editing, shooting, camera, lens, communication on your vision....learn it all, and NEVER stop learning it. You will never know everything to this business, this craft. You will never have enough information, skills or technical ability. It is an ever changing profession with new challenges around every corner you turn. Go to workshops, find mentors, ask questions, find chat groups, CC (constructive criticism groups) rent new equipment to play with, borrow equipment if you can....keep yourself fresh and up to date because it is so easy to fall behind. There were many times I wanted to quit, say it was too hard...too much. I took a little time, re grouped and came out bigger than ever each and every time I had a smidgen of doubt. Each time I knew I was on the right path...This is what I was put here to do. My job in life is to share my art, my work with all of you. To teach what I know and continue to grow in many ways.
I hear all of the time amatures just starting out saying "I will never be as good as everyone else." All I can say to that is no, you won't. You will be AMAZING at what YOU do...not what everyone else is doing. You will be as good as you, your style, your talent, your eye, YOUR ART! Never compare yourself to others...you can look up to them, learn from them but never try to be them because it will never happen. You are meant to be YOU...not anyone else. Art is expression and photography is an art. No two artists are ever the same and that my friends is the beauty of it! You are free to be whoever you want to be in this crazy world of photography and art. Your work should always stay true to you. It will change...go through phases. Your art will reflect where you are in life because it is an extension of YOU. I don't care if you are a life photography, fashion photographer, still, landscape...whatever. It still is the same...it is all art. Take pride, go out of the box...never be afraid of your own potiential and for heavens sake never limit it! We are our own worst critics and we are the ones who stand in our way. Make the choice to free yourself from your own chains and do what you love! That goes for every aspect of life.
Literally I eat, sleep, breath photography. Every single aspect of what I do I adore it. It is my one great love that is all mine. All of my passion, my heart, my soul goes into ever shot I take. I share that all with you. It is my release and my gift to myself to do it. I remember every single aspect of every single shoot I have ever done....everything. This has taken me places I have never dreamed in every way, spiritually, emotionaly, physically....it has been an amazing ride that I will never get off of.
This post took a differnt turn than I had planned but a good one in my opinion. If I lit a fire in someones belly with this, I did good. So happy shooting everyone...stay tuned for more from me and go watch my FB at www.facebook.com/studio714. There are soon to be some amazing work rolling across that page ;) I promise you that.
Much love
xoxo
Kim
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